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This is no reward for being No. 1
On a wild card weekend that saw the Dolphins and Vikings combine for a total of six second-half points in their whimpering home losses and the Colts' nine-game winning streak snapped in San Diego despite the Chargers' repeated efforts to hand Indy the game, there were plenty of on-field losers.
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But the biggest losers of all may have been home watching their plasmas.
That's right, the New York Giants' run of bad luck continues.
It's not enough to have lost their lone double-coverage-demanding wideout to the combustible combination of sweatpants and firearms.
Now, after earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 12-4 record, the Giants' reward will be a third meeting with the Eagles, arguably the hottest team in football and certainly the scariest 6-seed since the Steelers won it all in 2005.
No one could have been rooting harder for Minnesota Sunday than the Giants were, including the thousands of Vikings season-ticket holders who chose not to use their playoff tickets.
Had the Vikings been able to beat the Eagles, the G-Men would have hosted Arizona. And let's face it, luring the Cardinals to a January game in New Jersey would have been essentially a divisional-round bye into the NFC title game. Consider:
The last time the Cardinals traveled to the Meadowlands, in Week 4 to face the Jets, they fell behind 34-0 by halftime of a 56-35 loss.
In five road games not against the woeful NFC West the Cardinals went 0-5, losing by an average margin of 20 points per game.
Arizona's last two trips to the Eastern time zone have produced a 48-20 loss to the Eagles on Thanksgiving and a 47-7 annihilation by the Patriots in Week 16.
Kurt Warner has lost his last four starts in the Meadowlands.
The Giants beat Arizona 37-29 in the desert in Week 12 without Brandon Jacobs.
But the fourth-seeded Cardinals will be flying to Charlotte for the divisional round, where the Panthers will be their happy hosts. The Giants will have the privilege of hosting the Eagles, the team no one wants to play.
Including Sunday's 26-14 road victory over the Vikings, the Eagles have won five of six. In those five wins they've rung up a 20.8-point average margin of victory. Donovan McNabb is stretching the field with lasers and making all the check-down throws. Brian Westbrook is in peak powder-keg form, destined to explode at least once a game as he did for a 71-yard TD on a screen pass against the Vikings.
All Philly's big offseason free-agent signing Asante Samuel did Sunday in Minny was set the NFL's all-time record with his fourth postseason interception return for a touchdown.
The Giants don't need to be reminded of all the talent headed their way next Sunday. Nobody played them tougher this season than the Eagles.
In a Week 10 meeting that the Giants won 36-31, the Eagles had the ball near midfield with two minutes left when Westbrook was stoned on third and fourth down to preserve the New York victory. In Week 14, the Giants got pushed all over the field in the Eagles' 20-14 win in the Meadowlands. New York scored on a blocked field goal and a last-second cosmetic TD.
In those two games Eli Manning threw for a total of 314 yards, compiling a mediocre 77.9 QB rating. The loss to the Eagles was the only game this season in which he completed under 50 percent of his throws.
While New York and Philadelphia haven't been going in precisely opposite directions in the last month, the Eagles have been on the rise while the Giants have been sliding down a slight grade.
Even if you throw out the Week 17 loss to the Vikings in which the Giants played their second string, the three weeks prior to that leave serious questions.
After being physically dominated by the Eagles in Week 14, the Giants went to Dallas, where Manning was sacked eight times in a 20-8 loss. The following week the Giants clinched the top seed in the NFC with a thrilling 34-28 victory over Carolina in OT, though that win came adorned with another red flag as DeAngelo Williams carved them up for 108 yards and four touchdowns.
But winning that game was supposed to make life easier for the Giants in the playoffs.
Ignoring for the moment a potential Carolina trip to the Meadowlands for the NFC title game two weeks hence, next weekend you'd much rather be the 2-seed. As Vegas has already decreed, choosing between hosting the Cardinals or the Eagles was hardly a coin flip. The Panthers will be 10-point favorites against Arizona. The Giants will be four-point favorites against Philly.
Which is all in keeping with this upside-down season.
The idea, it would seem, is that teams should benefit from winning games. But you'd have a hard time convincing the Colts and Patriots of that. The Colts' reward for going 12-4 was a road playoff game at their Charger nemesis who went 8-8. The Patriots' reward for going 11-5 was a lump of coal. Three teams that advanced this weekend — the Cardinals, Eagles and Chargers — have still yet to match the Patriots' 11 wins.
And now the Giants' reward for beating the Panthers, in what might have been the best game of the regular season, is yet another NFC East head-cracker against McNabb, Westbrook and Jim Johnson's blitz packages.
The Giants may yet benefit from being the top seed in the NFC by hosting the conference title game.
But next week being No. 1 will be a definite liability.
Member Comments
My first comment hasn't gone thru yet so forgive me if this is a repeat.<br /><br />vf32...I too have always been a Giants fan and I also hoped to play the eagles again. That said, let me add this- To ALL you eagles fans and those who think, or hope the eagles will win; WATCH
GbillG1/10/2009 3:59:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
vf32<br /> I too have always liked the giants and I also hoped to see the eagles-giants rematch that we have now. So to all you eagles fans and those who think the eagles will win; WATCH
GbillG1/10/2009 3:39:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
vf32....I'm a Yankee fan (yeah I know billion $$ payroll, no championships since 2000........I've heard it all before) and I HATE the Mess.....I mean Mets so I was pulling for your Phillies. As for the Giants going down we'll just have to wait and see. It will be a war so whoever wins will have earned it.
bigbluereign1/8/2009 11:44:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
ignore the first comment didn't go threw at 1st a da de dumn
Masta_RMC1/8/2009 10:17:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
It takes one game to give anyone anything, a loss can give teams an edge in an exposive sight. I'm not saying past games dont matter only that the playoffs are a new season and at this point games are viewed or should be as 1 game seasons and I think these two teams do, with that said I'd say the Eagles have a slight, SLIGHT advantage in this one given their current mind state by life been pumped back into them and at this piont of the season that "we can't lose now" type of thinking can be dangerous for opposing teams, such as the Giants last season with my now couch potatoe Patriots. Its gonna come down to what team shows up on Sunday for either of them. If the Giants start out with a good lead, I believe they'll hold on to it but if not, gotta give it to the Bird men. It'll come down to the wire, ya know
Masta_RMC1/8/2009 10:16:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
The play offs is a new season, now I'm not saying teams dont learn or get better from past games, I'm simply saying at this point records mean nothing to teams, it is a 1 game season, or it should be. To these teams I believe they see it that way and if you take it from that perspective Eagles have a slight. Slight advantage. Giants are still a helafied team right now and rest always dose banged up teams good, it will be a good one but don't let last year fool you into thinking its an atomatic pass to the championship or SB for that matter. Ya know
Masta_RMC1/8/2009 9:57:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
yea same thing those mets were sayin about the PHILLIES last summer-face it dude your giants are going down too!
vf321/8/2009 9:23:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Masta..........did you mean the win against Minnesota giving them an edge?.............did anyone doubt that they'd beat that team?
bigbluereign1/8/2009 8:29:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
vf32...........I wanted the Giants to have to play the Eagles right along.......that way, when they win, all you Philly fans won't be able to say "that's because you didn't have to play us" <br /><br />Masta........if the previous wins and losses don't mean anything, where is this "mental edge" for Philly coming from?.....I understand you're not an Eagle fan, I'm just trying to figure out what you meant by that statement
bigbluereign1/8/2009 8:27:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
rfrobby tryin to chase me down n punk me on two pages, we know u r up the Giants ass, and won't take anything but them being #1 in consideration. Be open minded and whatch a few games and you will know what I'm trying to say. Not a Philly fan, just McNabb, but this is no doubt going to be a good game, my belief is pre-playoff wins or loses mean ishh, Its a new season as far as I'm concerned and with that said, Eagles Mental Edge gives them the advantage, does anyone else think thats rediculous???
Masta_RMC1/8/2009 8:17:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
easy question to all you big talkin giant fans-would you rather be playin the ARIZONA CARDINALS OR THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES THIS WEEKEND!
vf321/8/2009 7:23:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Giants will destroy the Eagles and pump lethal doses of fear into Carolina as they head to NY next week for the Championship game.<br /> Superbowl:<br /> Giants 35 - Chargers 34
BrianInMyrtleBeach1/8/2009 4:17:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Let's not forget that if the Eagles were in fact in playoff mode for a month, they would've never made it past Washington. If they put up 3 points agains the Giants the way they did in that game, all this big Philly talk everyone seems to be doing right now will be in vain. Sunday evening will be a very interesting time on these boards for sure.
BillyBlack1/7/2009 12:42:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
sportage77<br /><br />That didn't sound unbiased at all. In fact, it sounded decided one-sided. Especially you're last sentence.
BillyBlack1/7/2009 12:40:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
unbiased as to who will win, but theres a lot to like with Filly. They have been in playoff mode for over a month, and beat Gmen in their own park and totally dismantled Cowgirls in the process. Eagles have the clear psychological edge, right now they fear no one, especially the Giants. Eagles will prevail, did you get that one punk???
sportage771/7/2009 11:18:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Just another note...the best team two face the Giants this year was the Panthers...they have a strong defense, a great reciever in Smith and a excellent running game in both Williams and Stewart. This will probably be the NFC Championship matchup...the Eagles mostlikely will not hold up against a rested fully healed Giant team. The other game to watch this weekend is the Ravens and Titans...this will be an absolute defensive war...this game is a toin coss!
Tommyeagle1/7/2009 10:56:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
I agree that the Eagles are a tough reward for posting the number one seed in the NFC. They should be playing the Cardinals...this should not be another NFC EAST matchup...that should be a rule in the playoff matchups as it is in Baseball. As for Burress...he was a none factor all year...he missed numerous games and his absence played no role in the Giants season. The core value of the Giants is Jacobs and the defense. The Giants are built for cold weather football and Jacobs is the perfect power runner to maintain ball contol and wear down opposing defenses. The Giants manhandle teams when a healthy Jacobs runs the ball and the defense doesn't spend the entire game on the field. Manning is the perfect control QB for this system...with those elements in play Burress is merely a compliment to their offensive scheme.
Tommyeagle1/7/2009 10:39:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
yustrive I agree, I'd love to see that match up in the Superbowl Eagles vs Ravens, but its unlikely. Pittsburg is a monster right now and is far as the NFC goes it'll be a head bahier between the Panther and the Eagles. But how can you say this has been a crazy season anything can happen and it has. The teams everyone thought would win, lose or tie lol. I would hate to be a betting man
Masta_RMC1/7/2009 10:16:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
yustrive I agree that would make a nice Super Bowl game, but its unlikely. Pittsburge is a monster right now and in the NFC its going to come down to a bash fest between the Panthers and Eagles... Can't wait to see what happens, although this ha been a crazy season, the teams would expect to win have lost, I'd hate to be a betting man....
Masta_RMC1/7/2009 10:06:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
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